1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a molding assembly for an automobile window plate, which includes an elongate ornamental molding member or trimming member secured to the automobile body panel to cover a gap between the body panel and upper and side edges of the window plate.
2. Description of the Related Art
An automobile generally employs various kinds of window molding members which extend along the periphery of front or rear window plate, i.e. along a pair of front or rear pillars and the front or rear edge of the roof panel of the automobile body. The window molding member typically includes upper and side portions to extend along the upper and side edges of a window plate, respectively, and a corner portion between the upper and side portions for connecting them with each other.
A variety of requirements are imposed on window molding members mainly from design and/or functional viewpoint. For example, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 57-54,416 discloses a window molding member including a profiled metal body whose tip end is provided with a ridge composed of appropriate synthetic resin material. The ridge defines a weir which serves, during driving in rainy conditions, to prevent rain water on the window plate from flowing across the side portion of the molding member toward the side window, thereby preserving the driver's and/or navigator's sight through the side windows. However, the ridge along the upper portion of the molding member disturbs formation of a so-called flush outer surface of the automobile body along the front edge of the roof panel, i.e. along the upper portion of the molding member.
This led to an increased demand in the automobile industry for a much improved window molding member whose cross-sectional shape varies in the longitudinal direction as disclosed, inter alia, in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open Publication No. 63-184,117 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,757,659 and 4,757,660 to Miyakawa et al. Such a molding member is essentially composed of an extruded synthetic resin body including an upper portion of a first predetermined cross-section for achieving a flush outer surface of the automobile body along the upper portion, and at least one side portion of a second predetermined cross-section for defining the weir.
From ornamental viewpoint, it is sometimes desirable to use a molding member composed of a profiled metal member, though formation of the weir along the side portion while achieving a flush outer surface along the upper portion generally necessitates deformation of the metal member, which is often difficult without the sacrifice of a refined appearance of the molding member in its smoothness and continuity at the corner portion between the upper and side portions. This is particularly the case when the automobile body panel at the side portion is significantly higher than the body panel at the upper portion.